Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, commonly known as ADX, is the securities market based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It provides a regulated marketplace for trading shares and other listed securities and serves as an important component of the UAE's capital-markets infrastructure. The exchange connects listed companies, investors, brokers, market intermediaries and other participants through its trading, listing, disclosure and market-data functions. ADX was established in November 2000 under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 3. Its creation formed part of the development of a formal securities-market system in the emirate and gave companies headquartered in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere in the UAE a venue for public listings and secondary-market trading. In January 2003, the exchange launched the ADX General Index, providing a broad market indicator intended to track the performance of securities traded on the exchange. The exchange's listed universe has included companies from banking and financial services, insurance, energy, telecommunications, real estate, construction materials, industrial activities, food and agriculture, healthcare, hospitality and other services. Its market therefore reflects a wide cross-section of Abu Dhabi's and the wider UAE's corporate economy. Examples of listed issuers identified in reference material include First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, International Holding Company, ADNOC-related companies, TAQA, Aldar Properties, Etisalat, Abu Dhabi National Hotels and several insurance, industrial and investment businesses. A significant institutional change occurred on 17 March 2020. Under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 8, ADX moved from being a public entity to operating as a public joint stock company. At the same time, it became a subsidiary of ADQ, the Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding group. This transition placed the exchange within a broader state-linked investment and economic-development structure while preserving its role as a market operator. In January 2022, ADX adopted FTSE Russell's methodology for its benchmark and sector classification framework. The change was accompanied by a newly branded index and revised sector groupings, aligning the presentation of the market more closely with internationally used index and classification practices. The initiative was intended to improve comparability, transparency and the usability of ADX market information for domestic and international investors. ADX is distinct from the Dubai Financial Market and Nasdaq Dubai, which are other major securities-market venues in the UAE. Its principal geographic base and institutional identity remain Abu Dhabi, although its listed companies and investor participation extend beyond a single emirate. The exchange's public materials describe a market containing more than one hundred public listed companies across multiple sectors, although the precise number and composition change over time as listings, delistings, classifications and corporate actions occur. As an exchange rather than a consumer product brand, ADX's principal offerings are market infrastructure and access: listing services, securities trading, market information, index and sector representation, and related services for issuers and investors. Its performance is influenced by listed-company results, interest rates, commodity conditions, regional capital flows, regulation, geopolitical developments and the broader economic outlook. The exchange remains active, but individual statistics such as current market capitalization, trading volume and listed-company count require time-specific verification from official ADX disclosures.

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was established in November 2000 under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 3. The exchange was created to provide Abu Dhabi and UAE companies with a formal venue for securities issuance, listing and secondary-market trading. It also supplied investors with an organized market for buying and selling listed securities within a regulated framework. In January 2003, ADX introduced the ADX General Index. The index provided a market-level reference for the performance of securities traded on the exchange and became part of the market's public reporting and benchmarking infrastructure. The exchange underwent a major legal and institutional transformation on 17 March 2020. Under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 8, it changed from a public entity into a public joint stock company. It also became a subsidiary of ADQ, an Abu Dhabi investment and holding group. The change altered ADX's corporate form and ownership structure while retaining its function as Abu Dhabi's principal securities-market venue. In January 2022, ADX adopted FTSE Russell's methodology. The transition introduced a newly branded index and revised sector groupings, bringing the exchange's index and classification presentation closer to internationally familiar market conventions. This was significant for the comparability of ADX with other exchanges and for the way institutional investors evaluate its listed companies and sectors. ADX's market has included public companies in financial services, banking, insurance, energy, telecommunications, real estate, construction materials, industry, food, healthcare, hospitality and other services. The composition of the market changes through new listings, corporate reorganizations, transfers, delistings and changes in classification. Reference material describes more than one hundred public listed companies across twelve sectors as of November 2024, as well as a separate group of private listed companies identified in early 2024; these figures should be treated as time-specific rather than permanent characteristics of the exchange. The exchange operates in the UAE's wider capital-markets ecosystem alongside the Dubai Financial Market and Nasdaq Dubai. ADX's core activities include securities trading, listings, issuer disclosure, market data and index administration. Its development and market performance are affected by domestic economic policy, corporate earnings, interest rates, energy prices, investor sentiment, regulation and regional geopolitical conditions. Individual financial and operating metrics require confirmation from current official exchange reports.

1. 2022FTSE Russell methodology adopted

   ADX moved to FTSE Russell's methodology and introduced a newly branded index and revised sector groupings.

   Source
2. 2020Corporate-form and ownership transition

   On 17 March 2020, ADX became a public joint stock company and a subsidiary of ADQ under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 8.

   Source
3. 2003ADX General Index launched

   ADX launched its General Index as a broad measure of securities traded on the exchange.

   Source
4. 2000Exchange established

   Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was established in November 2000 under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 3.

   Source

A regulated Abu Dhabi-based securities market serving UAE issuers and domestic and international investors, with a broad listed-company base spanning financial, energy, industrial, property and service sectors.

• ADX General IndexMarket index2003

  A broad benchmark associated with the performance of securities traded on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. It was launched in January 2003 and provides investors and observers with a market-level reference rather than representing a single company or industry.

• Listed-equity marketSecurities trading2000

  ADX's central marketplace for trading shares of publicly listed companies. The issuer base has included banks, insurers, energy companies, property businesses, industrial groups, telecommunications companies, hospitality operators and other service providers.

• Listing and issuer servicesCapital-markets infrastructure2000

  Services supporting companies seeking admission to the exchange and maintaining their obligations as listed issuers, including market disclosure and corporate-action processes. Specific service features and eligibility rules are subject to ADX regulations and current official documentation.

• 2022Adoption of FTSE Russell methodologyGeneration change

  ADX sought a more internationally aligned approach to index construction and sector grouping.

  What changed. The exchange transitioned to FTSE Russell's methodology and introduced a newly branded index and revised sector groupings.

  Aftermath. The change was intended to improve the comparability and presentation of the ADX market for investors and market observers.

  Source
• 2020Conversion into a public joint stock companyStrategy

  ADX had operated as a public entity since its establishment and was reorganized under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 8.

  What changed. On 17 March 2020, the exchange transitioned into a public joint stock company and became a subsidiary of ADQ.

  Aftermath. The measure changed ADX's legal form and placed it within ADQ's group structure while preserving its role as Abu Dhabi's securities exchange.

  Source

• 2026ADX reportedly declines during the 2026 Iran–United States conflict

  Reference material reports that ADX fell by approximately 9% after the outbreak of the Iran–United States conflict in March 2026. The precise market-session data and source article were not supplied for independent verification.

  Other
• 2022ADX adopts FTSE Russell methodology and introduces revised index structure

  ADX transitioned to FTSE Russell's methodology and introduced a newly branded index together with revised sector groupings.

  OtherProduct generation
  Source
• 2020ADX becomes a public joint stock company and an ADQ subsidiary

  Under Abu Dhabi Local Law No. 8, the exchange transitioned from a public entity into a public joint stock company and became a subsidiary of ADQ.

  M&A
  Source
• 2003ADX General Index launched

  The exchange launched the ADX General Index as a broad indicator of the performance of securities traded on the market.

  Product launch
  Source

1. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
2. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange official website